Monday, May 23, 2005

more myth-making in the works about thomas

May 23rd

i just love the title 'dharmavijayam'. what dharma? what vijayam? this thomas the apostle never came to india, it is a complete myth. 'adharma-kettukatha' would be a more accurate name: a fabrication about adharma.

Many movies have come depicting the life of holy people, saints and social reformers. Some of them have been big hits also. A story which tells about St. Thomas, a well known name in Kerala is being planned in the name of 'Dharmavijayam'. Dr. Lanka Palli hailing from Andhra is the director of the film. He likes to do the same film in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and English also, in future. The film is not into making sectarian remarks or causing harm to other communities. The film is made in such a way that, it spreads the message of love and humanity to one and all.

Regarding the cast of the film, Prakash Paul, famous for his role in the tele-serial 'Kadamuttathu Kaththanaar', plays the title role of St. Thomas. Jesus Christ's role is being played by Vommy Krishna who is from Andhra Pradesh. Renjini, who has acted in the film, 'Sasneham Sumithra', acts as Mary Magdalen

The other supporting roles will be given to the leading artists of Malayalam. Dr. Lanka Palli is carefully doing the script work and if all goes well, the film may start the shooting.

4 comments:

S. Ramakrishnan
said...

Rajeev, since you are on the subject of "St. Thomas in India," let me tell you that even the Organiser seems to be buying the story in the name of nationalistic small-talk about "Roman bossism." http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=76&page=11Excerpt:"Established in 52 AD by St. Thomas, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ, the Malabar Church is one among the most ancient churches in the world-more ancient than the Roman Church. The early Malabar Church (Thomas Christians) maintained a unique identity due to geographical, historical and cultural factors. In the absence of any written documents on the history of early Malabar Christianity, we get information on these only from the oral traditions and folklores. This Church is Christian in faith and Indian in culture and heritage."

Another "grand strategy" from the muddled Sangh, I suppose. Irony of ironies!

No intelligent person in the West believes that Jesus Christ existed in history! I suppose your so-called 'intelligentsia' study in church supported schools and so never study the 'life' of Christ critically.

Granted that Christianity may preach some useful lessons on human relations like treat your neighbour as you would like to be treated, etc. The churches have done useful work with the stone-age tribals in making them less bloodthirsty. Head hunting as a sport has ceased in New Guinea, for example. But none of these are unique to Christianity. Worse it preaches "But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation." That is anyone who pursues Artha is doomed, destined for everlasting hellfire. On the whole it is unsuitable for sophisticated people. Ideal for simpletons and slaves.

Their claim that God incarnated as a human being in history only once and his death somehow offers hope for salvation from god's wrath (it is axiomatic that humans are born sinners and need to work towards their salvation) is their unique point. Many other religions have god taking an avatar as a human being when the need arose!

(Islam of course totally denies the possibility of god taking an avatar. Though I have read that Indian Muslims tend to be rather corrupt in their practice and worship tombs of Muslim saints.)

You probably are aware that the Roman Catholic Church in Europe is reduced to importing clerical labour from the third world since they cannot get local people to train for the clergy?

Yesterday I watched Antony Thomas' Middle Sex on (UK TV network) Channel4. I was surprised to learn that Indians are still using the judeo/christian/islam based penal code on sexuality introduced by the British! Over 50 years after the British left your minds are still shackled! For shame! (In Britain, of course, the penal code has been reformed.)Any sexual activity not directed towards conception is illegal! Mastubation is illegal too! Sex change operations are banned!

Yet in the documentary they showed hijras openly soliciting as prostitutes. Perhaps the penal code is not taken seriously...

Are today's Indians so ignorant of their ancestors' enlightned attitudes to sexuality? In the Mahabharat one finds polyandry, polygyny and ghandharva marriages. If they produced a UCC on sexuality based on Vedic precedents then that should be satisfactory for all the religious groups.

I have no idea about your nationality.But I can assure if I were to follow all the things of Mahabharata (or for that matter bible,quran or any other holy book) I would end up as either criminal or insane.Laws were formulated by british in the victorian era, but if you think Indians were somewhat likeAmericans (at least as shown in soft porns) you are mistakenI think that put overemphasis on matters of sex